Magnetic attachment for dance shoe, and method and kit therefor

ABSTRACT

A dance shoe dons an accessory that provides a visual indication of the foot position of a dancer. The accessory includes an ornamental device that is releasably attachable to the side wall of the dance shoe using magnetic attraction. A method for instructing dance students comprises the step of providing the accessory on a dance shoe worn by the dance student. Instructions are called out for the dance student to show the ornamental device in accordance with a dance position. The position of the ornamental device, and thus the position of the dance student&#39;s feet, is observed. The dance student is instructed to adjust the dance student&#39;s feet if improperly positioned, as indicated by the ornamental device. A kit comprises packaging, an accessory including magnetically responsive elements and magnets within the packaging, and instructions for attaching the accessory to dance shoes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to boots, shoes, and leggings. In particular, the invention relates to shoe attachment (e.g., ornament, pocket, etc.).

Dancers learning how to dance need to learn proper foot positioning. It is desirable to have a foot position training apparatus that aids the dancer and dance instructor in learning and teaching proper foot positioning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a dance shoe donning an accessory. The accessory provides a visual indication of the foot position of a dancer wearing the dance shoe. The dance shoe comprises a side wall and an accessory including an ornamental device releasably attachable to the side wall of the dance shoe using magnetic attraction.

The invention also relates to a method for instructing dance students. The method comprises the step of providing an accessory on a dance shoe worn by the dance student. The accessory comprises an ornamental device that provides a visual indication of the position of the dance student's foot. Instructions are called out to the dance student. The instructions instruct the dance student to show the ornamental device in accordance with a dance position. The position of the ornamental device, and thus the position of the dance student's feet, is observed. The dance student is instructed to adjust the dance student's feet if the student's feet are improperly positioned, as indicated by the ornamental device.

The invention further relates to a kit comprising packaging, an accessory including magnetically responsive elements and magnets within the packaging, and instructions for attaching the accessory to dance shoes.

Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a ballet dance shoe donning an accessory.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the ballet dance shoe shown in FIG. 1 laid open to show ribbons sewn to wings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an Irish dance shoe donning the accessory shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an accessory supported in relation to the side wall of a shoe.

FIGS. 5A-C are cross-sectional views of a magnetically responsive element attached to a cotton inner liner, a satin outer layer, and therebetween.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for instructing dance students.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an assembly kit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description references the accompanying drawings that illustrate exemplary embodiments. It is not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a dance shoe 10 donning an accessory 12 that provides a visual indication of the foot position of the wearer for the benefit of observers (e.g., a student wearing the shoe and/or a dance instructor). The dance shoe 10 is in the form of a ballet shoe. The accessory 12 may include an ornamental device 14, such as a jewel, sconce, or other ornamental device. The ornamental device 14 may be removably attachable to the side wall of the dance shoe 10. This may be accomplished by using magnetic attraction, as will become more apparent in the description that follows.

The dance shoe 10 may have two main parts, an upper, generally indicated at 16, and a sole, generally indicated at 18. The upper 16 may be formed of a vamp 20, wings 22 and quarter panels 24, which may be formed of layers of materials, which may include a cotton inner liner 26 and a satin outer layer 28. The sole 18 may include an insole 30 (shown in FIG. 2), a shank (not shown), and an outsole 32, which may be formed of a combination of layers of materials arranged to support the sole of the wearer's foot. The upper 16 may be folded under the insole 30 and the shank, forming delicate pleats 34. The outsole 32 may be formed of two parts, including a toe outsole and a heel outsole.

The vamp 20 is a forward part of the upper 16, which functions to cover the forepart of the wearer's foot. For a soft ballet shoe, the upper 16 may be soft. For a pointe shoe, the upper 16 may form a box 36 and a platform 38. The box 36 may be made of numerous layers of fabrics, which may vary in shape, and which may be bound together by paste to form a hardened surface. The box 36 may function to surround and support the wearer's toes and metatarsus. The platform 38 is a flattened surface at the toe end of the shoe 10. The platform 38 may function to allow the wearer to balance on the tip of the toe end of the shoe 10.

Although only one side is shown, the upper 16 has two substantially symmetrical sides formed by the wings 22 and the quarter panels 24. The wings 22 are directed from the vamp 20 to the quarter panels 24, which are at a rear part of the upper 16. It should be appreciated that the materials and paste forming the wings 22 and the box 36 may vary in shape and hardness depending on the style of shoe 10 and/or the wearer's preferences. The quarter panels 24 are joined at the rear part of the upper 16 at a heel seam or strap 40.

An upper part of the upper 16 is bound by a binding 42, which defines an entrance for receiving the wearer's foot in the shoe 10. The front of the entrance is defined by a throat 44. The throat 44 may be U-shaped or V-shaped. A length of cotton cord or elastic cord 46 may be encased within the binding 40 to allow the upper 16 to form a snug fit around the wearer's foot.

The shoe 10 may employ two fabric ribbons 48 and/or an elastic band (not shown) to secure the shoe 10 to the wearer's foot. The two ribbons 48 may wrap around the wearer's ankle in opposite directions, overlapping one another so as to form a cross at the front. The ends of the ribbons 48 are then tied together in a knot, which is then tucked under the ribbon 48 on the inside of the ankle to hide it from view. The elastic band traverses the upper part of the wearer's foot in front of the ankle, below the ribbons 48, when accompanied by ribbons 48. The elastic band keeps the heel of the shoe 10 in place against the foot when the wearer is en pointe.

An alternative dance shoe 50 in the form of an Irish dance shoe is shown in FIG. 3. It is a soft shoe, similar in construction to the soft ballet shoe described above, except that it is a black lace-up shoe with a tip and a heel made of fiberglass to produce footwork sounds. With regards to the similarities, the aforementioned description of the ballet shoe 10 applies to the Irish dance shoe 50.

As shown in FIG. 4, the accessory 12 includes a magnetically responsive element 52 and magnet 54. The accessory 12 is attached to the quarter panel 24 by sandwiching the quarter panel 24 between the magnetically responsive element 52 and the magnet 54. As shown in FIG. 4, the magnetically responsive element 52 may be supported inside the quarter panel 24 and the magnet 54 may be attached to the outside of the quarter panel 24 by magnetic attraction. Conversely, the magnet 54 may be supported inside the quarter panel 24 and the magnetically responsive element 52 may be attached to the outside of the quarter panel 24. The cotton inner liner 26 and the satin outer layer 28 may minimize resistance to the magnetic attraction.

The magnetically responsive element 52 may be a magnet, like the magnet 54, which may be in the form of Neodymium disc rare earth magnets, which may be 5/16 inch diameter by 7/64 inch thick (i.e., 8 mm diameter by 3 mm thick) and have magnetic flux density over 2000 gauss, although the magnets 52, 54 may be another type, size and/or density. Alternatively, the magnetically responsive element 52 may be a non-magnetic ferrous metal, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, certain steels and other alloys.

A magnetically responsive element 52 in the form of a non-magnetic ferrous metal may be supported in relation to the quarter panel 24 by magnetic attraction to the magnet 54. Alternatively, such an element 52 may be attached to the quarter panel 24 by glue.

It should be understood that the magnetically responsive element 52 may be attached to the cotton inner liner 26 (as shown in FIG. 5A), the satin outer layer 28 (as shown in FIG. 5B), or between the cotton inner liner 26 and the satin outer layer 28 (as shown in FIG. 5C), and the magnet 54 may be supported in relation to the shoe by magnetic attraction to the magnetically responsive element 52. Alternatively, the magnet 54 may be attached to the cotton inner liner 26, the satin outer layer 28, or between cotton inner liner 26 and the satin outer layer 28.

The ornamental device 14, such as a jewel, sconce, or other ornamental device, may be supported in relation to one of either the magnetically responsive element 52 or the magnet 54, depending on their arrangement in relation to the quarter panel 24, so that the ornamental device 14 is visually observable from outside the quarter panel 24. By attaching the accessory 12 to the shoe using magnetic attraction, the accessory 12 may be readily moved or removed. Moreover, the ornamental device 14 may be easily replaced with another ornamental device, which permits the aesthetic appearance of the shoe to be readily changed.

The position of the ornamental device 14 in relation to the shoe or the foot of the wearer is important for providing a proper visual indication of the wearer's foot position. The position of the ornamental device 14 may be established in relation to structure of the shoe and/or the wearer's foot. For example, the ornamental device 14 may be positioned on the outside of the quarter panel 24, to the rear of the ribbon 48 and/or an elastic band, vertically centered below the wearer's ankle bone A, forward from the wearer's heel H, and equidistantly between the binding 42 and the outsole 32. In this position, the accessory 12 on one shoe may function to stick together with the accessory 12 on the other shoe, if the heels are in an improper position. It should be understood that the position of the ornamental device 14 may vary relative to the size and type of the shoe.

It should be appreciated that the poles of the magnets on each shoe may be arranged so that the magnets on each shoe are attracted to one another when the heels are in an improper position, so when the heels are close together, the magnets stick together.

The accessory 12 may aid in training a dancer. With the accessory 12 properly positioned on the shoes, a dancer wearing the shoes and a dance instructor may observe the position of the ornamental device 14, and thus the position of the shoe. This allows the dancer and the dance instructor to readily observe when a correction in the position of the dancer's feet is necessary. The instructor may readily observe a number of dancers wearing shoes with the ornamental device 14, lending to a more efficient instruction method.

Moreover, the dance instructor may call out instructions to dance students. Examples of call out instructions are shown in the following tables. Callout instructions for a toddler's creative movement are shown in Table I below.

TABLE I Show me your jewels in 1st position Show me your jewels in tendu devant and á la seconde Show me your jewels in pique devant and á la seconde Show me your jewels in passé facing forward

Callout instructions for beginning ballet dancers include the callout instructions in Table I above, as well as the instructions in Table II below.

TABLE II Hide one jewel in tendu arabesque Show me your jewels in rond de jambe when devant and á la seconde, then hide when moving into derrière While doing your small jumps (échappé), keep your jewels facing forward

Callout instructions for intermediate ballet dancers include the callout instructions in Tables I and II above, as well as the instructions in Table III below.

TABLE III Show me your jewels in développé devant and á la seconde Hide the working leg jewel in arabesque, show the standing leg jewel Show me the front foot jewel in 5th position, hide the back foot jewel Show me the standing leg jewel while working on pas de bourrée Show me your jewels in the beginning of 4th position pirouettes

Callout instructions for advanced ballet dancers include the callout instructions in Tables I through III above, as well as the instructions in Table IV below.

TABLE IV Use as a reminder while working on pirouettes in 4th and 5th position Use as a guide to keep pushing heel forward in chassé or temps lie arabesque Use as a reminder in more advanced pas de bourrée to keep both heels turned out Use as a guide to keep heels facing forward on all releve Use as a guide to lead with the jewels on tendu devant Use as a guide in promenade to keep the jewels leading you around

In accordance with a method for instructing dance students, the method comprises the following steps, which is illustrated in FIG. 6. In accordance with method step 56, an accessory 12 is attached to dance student's shoes in a manner as described above. The shoes are then placed on the student's feet, according to method step 58. In method step 60, the dance instructor calls out instructions, including any of the call out instructions in Tables I through IV above. The student follows the instructions, in method step 62, as the student and/or the instructor observe the position of the ornamental device 14, and thus the position of the student's feet. If the instructor notes that the student's feet are improperly positioned, the instructor brings this to the attention to the student, according to method step 64. The student corrects the position of his or her feet by appropriately positioning the ornamental devices and thus the feet, according to method step 66.

The assembly 12 may be provided in a kit, generally indicated at 68, as shown in FIG. 7, including a packaging 70, which may be in the form of a small box. The packaging 70 may include an accessory 12, including magnetically responsive elements 52 and magnets 54, and instructions 80 for attaching the accessory 15 in a proper position in relation to the user's shoe, as described above. The instructions 80 may be in the form of printed matter, including indicia in the form of text and/or graphical images provided on physical media, such as paper or cardstock.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A dance shoe donning an accessory that provides a visual indication of the foot position of a dancer wearing the dance shoe for observation by the dancer and/or a dance instructor, the dance shoe comprising: a side wall, and an accessory including an ornamental device releasably attachable to the side wall of the dance shoe using magnetic attraction.
 2. The dance shoe of claim 1 wherein the dance shoe further comprises: an upper having a rear part, the upper comprising a quarter panel defining the side wall, the quarter panel being formed of layers of material comprising a cotton inner liner and a satin outer layer, and at least one of a fabric ribbon or an elastic band secured to the upper for securing the shoe to the dancer's foot.
 3. The dance shoe of claim 2 wherein the accessory comprises a magnetically responsive element and magnet, the accessory being releasably attachable to the quarter panel by sandwiching the quarter panel between the magnetically responsive element and the magnet.
 4. The dance shoe of claim 3 wherein the magnetically responsive element is supported inside the quarter panel and the magnet is supported outside the quarter panel by magnetic attraction between the magnetically responsive element and the magnet.
 5. The dance shoe of claim 3 wherein the magnet is a first magnet and the magnetically responsive element is a second magnet.
 6. The dance shoe of claim 5 wherein the magnets are Neodymium disc rare earth magnets.
 7. The dance shoe of claim 6 wherein the magnets are about 5/16 inch in diameter and about 7/64 inch thick.
 8. The dance shoe of claim 7 wherein the magnets have a magnetic flux density over 2000 gauss.
 9. The dance shoe of claim 4 wherein the dance shoe is one of a pair of dance shoes including a second dance shoe having the magnet supported outside a quarter panel thereof, wherein the poles of the magnets on each shoe are arranged so that the magnets on each shoe are attracted to one another when the shoes are in an improper position so that the magnets stick together.
 10. The dance shoe of claim 4 wherein the magnetically responsive element is a non-magnetic ferrous metal selected from a group consisting essentially of iron, nickel, cobalt, steel and alloy.
 11. The dance shoe of claim 10 wherein one of either the magnetically responsive element or the magnet is attached to the quarter panel by glue.
 12. The dance shoe of claim 11 wherein one of either the magnetically responsive element or the magnet is attached to either the cotton inner liner, the satin outer layer, or between the cotton inner liner and the satin outer layer.
 13. The dance shoe of claim 3 wherein the ornamental device is supported in relation to one of either the magnetically responsive element or the magnet, so that the ornamental device is visually observable from outside the shoe, and further so that the accessory is readily removable and replaced with another ornamental device to permit the aesthetic appearance of the shoe to be readily changed.
 14. The dance shoe of claim 13 wherein the ornamental device is selected from a group consisting essentially of a jewel of a sconce.
 15. The dance shoe of claim 2 wherein the ornamental device is positioned on the outside of the quarter panel, to the rear of the ribbon or the elastic band, vertically centered below the wearer's ankle bone, forward from the wearer's heel, and equidistantly between an upper end and a lower end of the quarter panel.
 16. The dance shoe of claim 2 selected from a group consisting essentially of a ballet shoe or an Irish dance shoe.
 17. A method for instructing dance students, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing an accessory on a dance shoe worn by the dance student, wherein the accessory comprises an ornamental device that provides a visual indication of the position of the dance student's foot for observation by the dance student or a dance instructor; b) calling out instructions to the dance student, wherein the instructions instruct the dance student to show the ornamental device in accordance with a dance position; c) observing the position of the ornamental device, and thus the position of the dance student's feet; d) instructing the dance student to adjust the dance student's feet if the student's feet are improperly positioned, as indicated by the ornamental device.
 18. A kit comprising: packaging; an accessory including magnetically responsive elements and magnets within the packaging; and instructions for attaching the accessory to dance shoes.
 19. The kit of claim 18 wherein the packaging is packaging selected from a group consisting essentially of a bag, a hanging bag, re-sealable zipper storage bag, a laminated bag with a flap, or a blister pack.
 20. The kit of claim 18 wherein the instructions are in the form of printed matter, including indicia including at least one of text or one or more graphical images provided on physical media. 